Ten years after I began at Hogwarts, Sebastian Sallow is back. And he's Professor Sallow now. He disappeared after the fall of Ranrok and Rookwood, after I lost Professor Fig, and after Ominis and I couldn't keep him from losing himself. But I never...
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"You got these for me!?" April exclaims with wide eyes and a bright smile after I explained why there was a box of donuts on the kitchen table. She's awake much earlier than usual this morning to spend some time in the library before the day begins. Oddly, she was a bit furtive as to why, and insisted I stay in bed, claiming she didn't want to bore me with details or keep me from sleeping.
She excitedly chomps a hasty bite of a donut as she happily dashes back towards the bed with it still in hand. She throws herself unabashedly to the floor, kneeling next to me, and I turn on my side to face her as she begins to cover my face in rapid, spontaneous kisses that leave a trail of cinnamon and sugar from her lips, which she sweeps off with quick fingers.
She makes my whole body smile.
::Makes your body do a lot more than that...::
And...she loves me.
::That's a big 'maybe,' mate.::
"I'd prefer if you would lick up the crumbs, next time" I mumble, my voice deep and scratchy. April's nose scrunches as she giggles quietly to herself. I watch her eyes thoughtfully scan around my face for a moment and I wonder what she's thinking about as her hand brushes along my forehead into my hair. She leans forward to welcome my lips into hers. I'm pleased when her kiss isn't the peck I'd assumed it would be, and I indulge in the long seconds by allowing myself to be fully present with the feeling of her.
When we're this close, I enjoy far more than the softness of her lips and the sweetness of her taste – extra sweet this morning. I've begun to notice that my breath, of its own accord, will often sync opposite of April's, such that I inhale as she exhales. My lungs seem to prefer to fill themselves with what, a moment ago, was inside of her, giving her life. It fills me with a spark far more valuable to me than oxygen. To invite a sliver of her essence to become a literal part of me – even for the briefest moment – is bliss. A phenomenon I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to know.
April kisses my nose and whispers with playful, sparkling eyes, "see you at breakfast, Sallow." My heart catches in my throat to think of breakfast – with Ominis – as she gives me a final kiss to a spot she revisits often, just at the corner of my mouth and stands. "Oh!" she says, before she bounds away, and lifts her hand with the donut towards me, "you want?" she asks. In an inane, throaty voice through her teeth she entices, "eeez deleerrrrsherz!"
I squint at it as I consider how 'delersherz' it would be and nod, sitting my body upwards as I open my mouth, into which she directs the donut for me to take a bite. In a quick moment, she kisses my cheek, now chubby with food, and gives a tiny, quick lick at the sugary crumbs on my lips. She winks with a smile and is out the door in a flash and I barely stop myself from spewing crumbs all over the bed through my laugh.
Mornings have never been so marvelous.
::You know what they say about 'all good things'...::
